Susan Coolidge was born on 29 January 1835 into a wealthy, influential family, in Cleveland, Ohio, and was christened Sarah Chauncey Woolsey. She was the niece of Theodore Dwight Woolsey, the President of Yale university from 1846 till 1871. She worked as a nurse during the American Civil War, after which she started writing. Susan Coolidge never married, and resided at her family home in Newport, Rhode Island, until her death. She was a popular writer of children's fiction, and although she wrote other books and poetry, she is mostly remembered for her works on children's fiction. She is best known for her classic children's novel What Katy Did (1872). The fictional Carr family was modelled after her own, with Katy Carr inspired by herself. The brothers and sisters in the Carr family were modelled after her own four younger siblings. Susan Coolidge died in Newport, Rhode Island in 1905.
What Katy Did is the delightful story of the Carr family. Dr. Carr is a widower with six children. After his wife dies at childbirth, his sister Izzie helps him raise his six children, as he is busy with his medical practice. This is the story of Katy, Clover, Elsie, Dorry, Joanna, and little Phil. Katy is the central character of the story. She is a high-spirited, mischievous girl who is the leader of the pack, and who is always playing pranks and falling into trouble. However, Katys life changes when an accident lands her in bed for months. After sinking into despondency initially, Katy is helped by her invalid cousin Helen to bloom into an intelligent, rational and responsible young lady. What Katy Did teaches us the importance of family values, and to take all that life offers us with a smile.
